3 Spectators Killed After Race Car Veers Off Course

Three people in France have died after they were struck by a race car, authorities say.

According to the French news outlet La Montagne, two brothers, ages 60 and 70, and a 44-year-old father died on the morning of Saturday, July 26, in Ambert, in the Puy-de-Dôme region located in central France.

The outlet reported that the driver, a 22-year-old woman and her co-driver, a 51-year-old man, were taken to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The pair were driving a modified Peugeot 208, a European subcompact car, as a part of the Rallye de la Fourme d’Ambert.

The outlet reported that around 30 firefighters and several police officers were called to the scene. The 44-year-old man who died was transported to a local hospital, where he was then pronounced dead.

La Montagne reported that the three spectators were seemingly positioned near red tape in a prohibited area, but investigators, including the local prosecutor, said they haven’t determined exactly where the victims were standing.

A colonel who spoke with the outlet said that the accident took place during a segment of the race that was “almost in a straight line, not on a tight bend.”

The local prosecutor’s office has also opened an investigation, and the driver and co-driver will take toxicology tests, per the outlet.

Race officials canceled the rally soon afterwards.

“Following the serious accident in the special N1, the organization and the race management decide to permanently stop the rally at 10:49,” the race’s management team stated on Facebook. “Flat rate times apply to competitors who are parked closed and haven’t made the specials. There will be no awards.”

In a post shared to X, the Puy-de-Dôme prefecture account wrote that several local and national police organizations would be taking part in the investigation.

“This morning, a tragic accident occurred during the Rallye de la Fourme d’Ambert. Following a vehicle in the race going off the road, several spectators were struck,” the post stated. “The prefect of Puy-de-Dôme is on the scene to monitor the situation alongside the emergency services and mobilized authorities.”

“Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those affected by this tragedy,” the account added.

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According to France Bleu, a race steward helping to manage the same race was killed last year on July 27. The 42-year-old man was attending to a car that had rolled off the road when he was struck by a second car.

François Chautard, the mayor of Saint-Just — the community where the race took place — told La Montagne that he’s had “a great deal of emotion and sadness” following the incident.

“My thoughts are especially with the families,” Chautard added. “The rally has been running for 30 years, and the last two years have seen one disaster after another.”